


Fai D. Flourite and the Maze of the Mind

by atomherrerin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Blackmail, Character Death, Fai is a Little Shit, Gore, Harry Potter AU, Kurofai Olympics 2017, M/M, PTSD type flashbacks, but he doesn't deserve all this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 10:20:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17020851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atomherrerin/pseuds/atomherrerin
Summary: This is my entry for the 2017 Kurofai Olympics. It's an alternative look at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.





	Fai D. Flourite and the Maze of the Mind

Fai took his seat at Slytherin table as Dumbledore hushed the crowd.   
  
“Now that we’re all settled in and sorted.” He said, waving his hands for students to sit down, “I would like to make an announcement.” Dumbledore continued to explain the prestige of the Tri-Wizard Tournament before introducing the other two schools that would participate.   
  
The students from  Beauxbatons Academy of Magic danced in with grace and poise. Next the chosen students from the illusive Durmstrang Institute made a dramatic entrance, complete with pyrotechnics. But as everyone else was watching Victor Krum walk down the middle of the hall, Fai had his eyes on one of the boys in the back. He was tall and intimidating, but most of all he looked like did he not want to be there. Fai smiled. As a 7th year, most of the other Slytherins were now callus to his teasing. What he saw before him wasn’t competition, but fresh faces, so solemn and stern. And this particular boy was ripe for the picking.   
  
The Durmstrang boys sat at Slytherin table that night for dinner. Fai found the boy he had zeroed in on earlier and plopped down right next to him.   
  
“I’m Fai.” He said, grabbing a biscuit from the center of the table.   
  
The boy looked over at him and scowled. “I did not come here to make friends.” He said with a slight accent.   
  
“Then why did you come?” Fai said, with great interest. “From the looks of it, you don’t even want to be here!”  He pouted.  
  
The boy glared at Fai,  “Because I was asked. And why don't you mind your own business, Slytherin.” He said and picked up his plate to move to another seat.   
  
Just then Dumbledore stood up to introduce a man named Mad Eye Moody who would be their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Fai made eye-contact with a few other of the older Slytherins. “An auror as a professor?” The boy next to him whispered.  
  
“Well,” Fai shrugged, “I guess he can’t be any worse than Lockhart.” He said, earning snickers all around him.

 

~~~~~~~  
  
  
At first the thought of an ex-auror as their DADA teacher was a bit unnerving to Fai. Everyone knew who his parents were and even though they were dead, he still bore their name. They had been dark wizards, and had died in the wizarding war. But Moody didn’t seem to have a qualm with Fai, who kept his head down in Moody’s class. He didn’t even seem to have too much of an issue with Malfoy, even though Fai knew for a fact that his family was still involved with the Death Eaters. Fai thought that perhaps he would make it through the year without a run-in with Moody, but late one autumn morning, Moody walked out the door behind the class was they were leaving.  
  
“Fai,” He called out.   
  
Fai’s face fell and he sighed. Here comes the lecture. He thought as he turned around to face Moody.   
  
“Come on,” Moody said, “let's have a chat.” He nodded in the direction of his classroom.  
  
He looked over at Tomoyo and Chii, who were waiting for him. He waved for them to go on to the library without him. They nodded, Chii giving him a sympathetic look.   
  
Fai reluctantly turned around and followed Moody back into his office. It looked more a museum than an office, filled with antiquities and odd contraptions. Fai braced himself for a long rambling lecture about change and cooperation in the wizarding world. All of his teachers had given it to him at one point or another in his school career.   
  
Moody sat down and looked straight at him, “How much do you remember about the death of your parents and your brother?”   
  
Fai was struck to the core. His face went sheet white and eyes snapped up to meet Moody’s.  
  
“Hmm, you remember it, don’t you? You were what? 4? 5? You were there when the Order of the Phoenix attacked. Chaos. Panic.” Moody continued even as Fai’s face went white with shock. “They killed so many witches and wizards, children even.” He looked up at Fai, who was still staring at him in dismay, barely breathing. “Your brother even.”   
  
Fai stared at him for a second, lost in the horrific memories from that night, screaming, crying and blood, so much blood. His twin laying on the ground, bleeding out from his horrific injuries, screaming in pain. He had to force himself to breath as looked up at Moody, who was grinning.  
  
“Some people speculated that you took his name after he died, but I suppose that’s impossible to prove, you were identical and all.” Moody said, clearly trying to get Fai to break right in front of him.   
  
“What do you want?” Fai said softly, pulling back from him.   
  
“I want to give you your revenge!” Moody said, standing and walking towards Fai.  
  
Fai looked him in the face for a moment before it all became clear, “You're not Moody.” He said, softly, eyes wide with terror.   
  
“Ahhh, you are as clever as they said,” Moody chuckled and pulled the flask out of his jacket and took a long swig.  
  
“Polyjuice.” Fai said.  
  
“Ha, quite.” He said. “And it cost me an arm and a leg to get in here.” He said hoisting his fake leg onto the chair beside him, “So you’re gonna to listen to me! Now tell me boy, why do you think I’m here?”  
  
Fai thought for a moment before it dawned on him. “Potter.” he gasped, realizing that it must have been this man that put Potter’s name in the goblet of fire. Moody, or whoever he was, had made it so that Potter’s name would be pulled from the goblet at the ceremony last week.   
  
“Aye,” Moody nodded, “and you are gonna help me make sure Potter wins that cup.”   
  
“I ...” Fai said and started to back towards, “I’m not going to help you do anything.”   
  
Moody reached out and grabbed Fai’s collar, pulling him up, “Ahh but you will, or those little lady friends of yours are gonna be in a world of trouble.”   
  
Tomoyo,Chii, Fai thought, realizing what a real threat this man was.   
  
“And I think you know that even if I’m out of the picture, I’ve got friends here who could do just about anything to anyone. I reckon you know that better than most, being a Slytherin.” He let go of Fai’s collar and Fai backed up against the wall.   
  
The Malfoys, he thought, Chii’s a muggleborn and if she disappeared ... oh god!  
  
He looked back up at Moody, knowing that he had no way out of this, “Leave my friends alone.”   
  
“Good. I’m glad we see eye to eye!” Moody nodded and went to his desk. He started rummaging through old parchments until he found the one he was looking for and plucked it out, thrusting it at Fai. “This is a map of the forbidden forest. Somewhere out there, they are hiding the first task for the cup. It’s your job to find it!” He said, chucking the map at Fai.   
  
“What am I looking for?” Fai asked.   
  
Moody turned around, “Ack, if I knew that, I wouldn’t need you, now would I?” He huffed at Fai, “Right then, get out.” Moody said before shuffling back to his desk.   
  
Fai did as he was told and hurried out of Moody’s office into the DADA classroom. He was still shock white and felt like he might throw up at any moment. He tried to steady his breathing as he went, hoping that no one would be outside to witness him in such a state, but as he opened the door to the hall, he nearly ran into the tall grumpy boy from Durmstrang he had been teasing only a week ago.   
  
“Why don’t you watch where you are ...” he started but stopped when he saw Fai’s face.   
  
“Sorry.” Fai muttered as he pulled his head down and hurried in the other direction.   
  
By the time he got to library, he had regained his composure.  
  
“What was all that about?” Tomoyo asked.  
  
“Oh you know,” Fai said, throwing on his customary smile. “The standard lecture. ‘Oh Fai, you don’t have to be like your parents.’” He said, doing his best impression of McGonagall.   
  
Chii and Tomoyo laughed. Oh god, Fai thought, I can’t let anything happen to them because of me, no matter what.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The next afternoon Fai left for the forbidden forest. He divided the map up into a grid  and combed the first few grids without finding anything. Fai was fairly good with directions, but it was still hard to keep track of where he was going in the woods. He had to use the four-point spell every two or three minutes.   
  
Two hours in, Fai saw something  above the trees. As he strained to make it out, it swooped down through the trees and flew past him to a bush a hundred meters away. It moved so fast Fai couldn’t make out what it was. Out from behind the bush stepped the grumpy Durmstrang boy.   
  
“Oy,” He called out to Fai, “What are you trying to do out here?” He glared at Fai.  
  
Fai shoved the map behind his back, “Well I could ask you the same thing Mr. Grumpy.”   
  
“My name is not Mr. Grumpy!” he said indignantly, walking towards Fai. “Why are you looking for them?”   
  
“Looking for who?” Fai asked. Clearly this boy knew more than he was telling.   
  
Suddenly a sharp squeak came from the bush. A small creature hopped out from behind it.  
  
“Ack! Ginryuu,” He turned to the creature and spoke a few harsh words in a foreign language. It hopped back behind the bush.  
  
“What,” Fai said, walking around the boy and straight towards the bush, “In Merlin’s beard is that?”   
  
The boy grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks, “Didn’t I tell you to mind your own damn business Slytherin?”   
  
“Well, this is my campus. I’m a seventh year after all. If you’ve brought any dangerous creatures to Hogwarts it’s definitely my job to investigate.” Fai said, trying to keep his face straight.  
  
For a moment the boy looked at Fai in dismay, clearly taking him seriously. Fai couldn’t help but crack a sheepish grin, He’s just too fun to mess with! Fai thought.   
  
“You are lying.” He said, pointing accusingly at Fai, as though it were an unforgivable offence.  
  
“I am,” Fai admitted, “I’m actually out here on a dare. If I stay out here the whole night Kamui said he would give me 5 Galleons.” Fai said, this time lying with ease.   
  
It seemed that the boy believed him, “That is foolish. This forest has many unnerving creatures in it. It would be quite dangerous to stay here alone all night.”   
  
“Hmmm, then why are you out here Mr. Grumpy?”  
  
“That is not my name. I am Kurogane Suwa and you will not call me Mr. Grumpy.”   
  
“Oh I won’t? Is that so Mr. Grumpy?” Fai said, turning is back toward the boy and taking a few steps backward toward the bush.  
  
Kurogane glared at him. “Do you treat everyone you meet with such disrespect?”  
  
“Why yes, I do!” Fai said, continuing to march backward.   
  
By the time Kurogane figured out what he was doing Fai was already halfway to the bush. “HEY.” He yelled. Fai just smiled and ran the last few meters to the bush before bending down to see what was hiding in it.   
  
The creature in the bush was about the size of a cat, but had wings and a fat little body. It was red with scales covering most of its torso and a long tail with a wisp of fluff at the end of it. It cooed at Fai and tilted its head.  
  
“Is this ...” Fai asked, not able to believe his eyes, “Is this a dragon?” He turned to Kurogane in amazement.   
  
“Move, you are scaring him.” He shoved Fai out of the way and held out his arm for the creature, which hopped on his thick glove. As he stood up Fai could see that it was in fact, a dragon, a Chinese Fireball from the look of it.   
  
Fai stood up and stared at him in amazement. “You have a baby dragon on your arm.” He stated, shaking his head in disbelief.   
  
Kurogane sighed heavily. “Yes. I’m a dragon keeper. She’s mine.” He looked away as if he was almost embarrassed to admit it. “And,” He added turning back to Fai and leaning in to make his point, “If you tell anyone about this, I will send her to eat you. She’s small but she has a big appetite.” He said.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry. What am I gonna say, ‘Mr. Grumpy is a dragon keeper’ yeah, no one is going to believe that!” Fai said, circling Kurogane to get a good look at the dragon perched on his arm. I wonder if this is the first challenge, He thought, but this dragon is tiny. “How is it ... uh, she, not eating you right now?” Fai asked.  
  
“If you know how to handle them, they aren’t vicious. My people are dragon keepers.” He explained, trying, in vain, to keep eye contact with Fai as he shifted around the creature looking at it from all angles. He reached his hand out towards it and the dragon snapped at him. Fai pulled his hand back quickly. “If you know how.” Kurogane repeated again for emphasis.  
  
“Quite.” Said Fai, taking a step back.   
  
Before Fai could ask why Kurogane had brought her here, the creature squeaked loudly and flew to the ground, hopping off in one direction. Kurogane spoke to it again, words that sounded, Russian perhaps, Fai wasn’t sure.   
  
“What is it?” He asked Kurogane as they started to follow the dragon.   
  
  
“It’s none of your business Slytherin, now go away.”  
  
“Oh yes,” Fai said sarcastically, “Yes, I’m just going to leave you and your baby dragon alone and not find out what your doing in the forbidden forest or whatever it is your dragon is looking for.”   
  
“Shhhh,” Kurogane said, “get down.” He motioned for Fai to crouch down. They shuffled through the underbrush for a few minutes before they caught up with the little dragon. It was whimpering softly. Kurogane held his arm out for it and it hopped up again. Kurogane followed the direction of the little beast’s gaze and poked his head into the thick bush in front of them. He gasped and pulled his head back out, clearly upset by what he had seen.   
  
Fai stuck his head through the bush and was equally surprised by what he saw. There were 4 cages, each with a different type of dragon in it. There were wizards on top of and to the side of the cages using the Stunning Spell on the dragons to keep them calm. It wasn’t very effective. The dragons were thrashing in their cages and snapping at their keepers.   
  
Fai pulled his head out of the bush and whispered to Kurogane, “Well, those aren’t babies are they?”  
  
Kurogane wasn’t paying attention to him and he looked genuinely upset. “You keep a huge beast in a tiny cage then chain it into an arena, of course it becomes dangerous.” He muttered to himself. “Karkaroff must have known it would be a magical beast. Damn it.” He pulled his dragon closer to him and it whimpered uncomfortably at the sound of the bigger dragons growling.   
  
“What’s wrong?” Fai asked.   
  
“Those are nesting mothers that are chained up in there!” Kurogane said in a harsh whisper. “That’s the dragon equivalent of a pregnant woman being chained to arena wall and being told she has to protect her baby. This is horrific.” He looked at his own dragon in dismay.   
  
“Well I don’t think they plan to kill the dragons.” Fai said.  
  
“That doesn’t matter, it’s still cruel beyond belief. Those dragons have every right to eat the people responsible for this. Using nesting dragons for damn entertainment. It’s sick.” He cursed in another language. “No wonder Karkaroff wanted me to come.” He muttered before sticking his head in again. “That Hungarian Horntail hasn’t even laid all of her eggs yet. Poor thing.”   
  
“How do you know so much about dragons?” Fai asked.   
  
“Um...” Kurogane motioned to his own dragon as if the answer should be obvious, “I have one.”  
  
“Yes, but I mean, why do you have one? I thought they were only kept in Romania and like ... Wales or whatever.”  
  
“Pffft, Romania isn’t the only place in the world where dragons live.” Kurogane said.   
  
Fai waited for him to expound on that sentence but he didn’t, he just kept looking through the bushes, “Ok...I guess you can keep your dragon knowledge to yourself.” Fai said and stuck his head through the bushes to take mental notes about the dragons to relay to Moody later.   
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
As dusk fell, they made their way out of the forest. They didn’t say much, it seemed like Kurogane was still pretty upset about how they were treating the dragons and Fai didn’t really want to anger the boy while he had his dragon on his arm.   
  
As they reached the edge of the woods, Kurogane turned to Fai, “Were you really out here on a dare?”  
  
“Well, I’m definitely not going to be staying out here now that I know there are dragons in there.” Fai said, hoping that would convince him of the lie.   
  
“Just don’t go spreading around what you saw in there ok? That is supposed to be top secret.” Kurogane put on a serious tone.   
  
“Oh don’t worry. Slytherin doesn’t have a player in this game, so I don’t really care who wins.” Fai said, which technically wasn’t a lie, he hadn’t cared who won until yesterday.   
  
“Good.” Kurogane nodded sternly and turned toward the Black Lake, where Durmstrang ship was waiting in the harbor.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After the first task, Fai was charged with stealing one of the Eggs, delivering it to Moody and then returning it before anyone was the wiser. He was able to pull this off without much trouble by using an egg double, that didn’t actually open. After the first time, he was fairly sure that no one would want to open them again for quite some awhile.   
  
Soon snow fell onto Hogwarts and it was time for the long anticipated Yule Ball. Chii was, of course, going with Hideki and Tomoyo had asked Sakura before Syaoran had worked up the nerve. Fai had personally asked every boy in Slytherin to go to the ball with him in the most flamboyant, humiliating way possible. They all said no but it was well worth it to watch them squirm.   
  
Instead of going to the ball, Fai spent the night in the adjacent tower with a bunch of the other 7th years, drinking butterbeer laced with firewhiskey. A terrible combination!  Fai thought as he finished his drink and went to return his glass to the Weasley twins, who were selling the stuff.   
  
“You know this is pretty bad, right?” He said.  
  
“Yeah, we know.” George answered.   
  
“Want another?” Fred offered with a tongue in cheek smile.  
  
At first Fai grimaced, but then thought for a moment. The next day he would be heading home for the Christmas break. The thought of that was enough to make him reconsider the twin’s offer. He nodded to them and they poured another glass for him.   
From across the room he saw some of the older Durmstrang boys sitting around a table playing cards. He decided to go see if Kurogane was was with them, and sure enough, as he crossed the room there he was, sitting beside the main group, staring into the fire and drinking a glass of something that looked like it was much more firewhiskey than butterbeer.   
  
“Well hello Mr. Grumpy.” Fai said, pulling a seat up next to him.   
  
Kurogane looked over to see who it was and gave a disgusted sigh. “Ugh, my name is not Mr. Grumpy, it’s Kurogane Suwa, please address me properly.”   
  
“Oh well, excuse me, your highness.” Fai said sarcastically. “Enjoying the view?” he said teasingly, gesturing at the fire.  
  
Kurogane rolled his eyes. “What do you care Slytherin?”  
  
  
“You know I have a name too.” Fai said.  
  
“Oh, I was told,” Kurogane said, sitting up and turning towards Fai, “You're a Flourite,” he said with an almost accusatory tone.  
  
Fai’s face dropped for a second. Clearly his family's reputation had caught up with Kurogane. But he quickly pasted his smile back on and continued his jeering, “Oh but I’m so much more. Did they tell you of my conquests,” He took Kurogane by the shoulder and waved his hand dramatically, “of all the glorious pranks?”   
  
“They told me you are a liar and a clown.” Kurogane said, matter of factly.  
  
“Oh, liar, yes, but hmmm, clown is a bit harsh don’t you think.” Fai said, pretending to be hurt by the words.   
  
“You were probably lying in the forest and you were helping one of your champions cheat, weren't you?” Kurogane said starting to raise his voice slightly.  
  
“Oh,” Fai put his hand to his chest in fake shock, “what an accusation! I have no idea what you're talking about.”   
  
Kurogane was starting to look truly frustrated now, but, as much fun as messing with him was, Fai didn’t really want to cause a full blown scene right in front of the other Durmstrang boys, so he swiftly switched topics.   
  
“Speaking of the forest, how’s your little ‘friend’?” Fai asked, raising his eyebrows at the last word.   
  
Kurogane glared at him, swiftly glancing around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. In a hushed but angry voice he replied, “She’s none of your business Slytherin.” With that, he turned around in his seat and stared back at the fire.   
  
While it was clear that Kurogane was done with their conversation, this was the most fun Fai had had all evening and he didn’t want to leave just yet. So he sat there finishing his drink. It might have been the alcohol, but it almost felt comfortable sitting here next to this gruff, stern boy. He was so unlike Fai’s friends at Hogwarts. He comes across as a bit dense, but that’s probably just the language barrier. Fai thought as he smiled to himself. Poor schmuck assumes everyone’s telling the truth. Such an easy target! Fai felt his smile fade. That’s certainly not the way Slytherin house operates. He thought. Or my house for that matter. The second Fai realized he was thinking about home again he shook his head slightly. He had to distract himself somehow. He turned to Kurogane.  
  
“Hmm, you like magical creatures right Mr. Grumpy?” He asked.  
  
“I’m not...” Kurogane started but Fai didn’t let him finish.  
  
“Because I could probably show you one  you’ve never seen up close before.” He said, standing up.   
  
“What is it?” Kurogane asked, hesitant, but clearly interested.  
  
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Fai said as he started to leave the room. Kurogane gave him a confused look and rolled his eyes before getting up to follow him out of the room.

  
~~~~~~~~  
  
They stopped by the greenhouse to pick up some fresh veggies and then they headed to the tower nearest to the headmaster’s office, all the while Kurogane demanding that Fai tell him what they were doing and Fai refusing, insisting on it being a surprise. While Fai didn’t like sharing this particular secret with just anyone, he was a bit tipsy and thought that there would be no harm in showing it to this tight-lipped grumpy boy who would leave once the tournament was over. Plus, he wanted to see his reaction.   
  
They stood out on the balcony and Fai set the vegetable offering down on the far left side, shooing Kurogane to the far right before whistling a distinctive little tune. A few moments later a large red bird came hopping up to the open window of the headmaster’s office and took off, flying the short distance to the adjacent tower with only a few flaps. It landed on the balcony near the vegetables and started to peck at them.   
  
Fai looked back at Kurogane with a smile. Kurogane was staring in wide-eyed amazement.   
  
“Is... Is that a phoenix?” He asked.  
  
“Yes, it’s Dumbledore's pheonix, Fawkes.” Fai explained.   
  
“How ... how did you get it to come out here?” Stammered Kurogane.  
  
Fai gestured to the vegetables. “I know what he likes and he knows that when I whistle, I have a tasty snack.” He shrugged. Kurogane looked over at Fai with raised eyebrows. “What? I’m telling the truth this time.” Fai said. “Have you ever seen one before?” He asked Kurogane, gesturing toward Fawkes.   
  
“Not in real life, no, only in books.” Kurogane said, taking a few steps toward the bird.   
  
“Oh, I wouldn’t get too close,” Fai warned. “He’s liable to bite.”   
  
Kurogane nodded and shifted to the side instead of moving toward Fawkes, analysing him as he went.  “He must have an 8 ft. wingspan. And his tail plumage is amazing.”   
  
Fai sat back and enjoyed showing off Fawkes to someone. The only other person who knew about this was Chii and the first time he took her to meet Fawkes, she had been so worried that they would get in trouble that she hadn’t enjoyed it, even though she loved birds.   
  
“Oh,” Kurogane continued, reaching his hand over the railing to put it closer to Fawkes tail. “They really do radiate heat!” Fawkes squawked at him and Kurogane jumped back from the railing.   
  
“Told ya.” Fai laughed and for the first time that Fai had seen, Kurogane smiled. It’s a nice smile. Fai found himself thinking.  
  
“So how do you know so much about magical creatures?” He asked, throwing a few more veggies in Fawkes’ direction. “Is that like, a major area of study at Durmstrang? Do they just give kids baby dragons?”   
  
“No, I didn’t learn dragon keeping at Durmstrang.” Kurogane said.   
  
“Really?” Fai said in surprise. “But I thought Durmstrang was near that dragon sanctuary in Romania or whatever.”   
  
Kurogane gave Fai a sideways look. “Durmstrang is unplottable, so if you are trying to get any information as to it’s whereabouts from me, think again.” He said with a huff and then turned back to Fawkes. “But I learned dragon keeping from my family. We have been keeping dragons for many generations.”  
  
“Really? I’ve never heard of anyone keeping dragons outside of a sanctuary!”   
  
“Yes, well, Europeans have some strange ideas about what’s best for dragons. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty stupid to think that humans would know what’s best for dragons in the first place.” Kurogane replied derisively.  
  
“Are you saying that you keep them in the wild???” Fai said in shock.  
  
“Yes.” Kurogane nodded. “They were here first. In fact, they don’t even like interacting with people for the most part.” Fai gave him a very confused look. Kurogane sighed, “Dragons used to rule the countryside and it was only when humans came along that they were pushed into tiny, isolated sanctuaries. It’s like that here in Europe, but there are plenty of places in the world where dragons still live in the wild.”  
  
“Like where?” Fai said in disbelief.   
  
“Like Kazakhstan, where I’m from.” Kurogane said.  
  
Fai looked away, desperately trying to remember where Kazakhstan was.   
  
“You don’t know where it is, do you?” Kurogane huffed. “Below Russia. East of the Caspian Sea.” He waited for a moment, but Fai just raised his brow, still unsure of where it was. Exasperated, Kurogane continued, “It used to be part of the Soviet Union.”  
  
“Ah yes, it’s all coming back now.” Fai said, still not sure he would be able to pinpoint it on a map. “So there are wild dragons there?”  
  
“Yes. My family has good relationships with the dragons that live in our region.  They help us hunt and protect our cattle and we feed them when the weather is harsh. And,” he said, turning to Fai and saying in an almost harsh tone, “We don’t build giant cities right in the middle of their territory!” He looked away before adding the disclaimer, “Although the Soviets did try to at one point. It did not go well for them.”   
  
“You seriously have dragons watch your sheep?” Fai said in disbelief.  
  
“Yes, seriously. Толық айдаһар - бақытты айдаһар. That means ‘A full dragon is a happy dragon’.”   
  
“That’s mental.” Fai said, trying to imagine what life alongside dragons would be like. “Oh are you guys like, nomads or whatever, living in tents?”  
  
“Well, we do live in yurts.” He said, “but they are different than tents.”   
  
“Then what are you doing at Durmstrang?” Fai asked.  
  
Kurogane looked away for a minute, “My aunt wanted me to go. She said it would ... expand my horizons or something stupid.” He rolled his eyes and sighed.   
  
“So you would rather be at home right now I take it?” Fai asked leaning against the railing.   
  
“Yeah.” Kurogane said softly, staring off into the night. “I would.”   
  
Fai couldn’t deny that he envied Kurogane. Home was something he dreaded. Sure, the Slytherin Dungeon is cold and a bit damp, but it’s noisy and there are always people there. If you’re bored there is always someone to tease or just play chess with. At home, it’s cold and empty. And now there’s all this stuff with Moody and I’m sure there’s something more there and that Ashura knows about it by now and oh god, he’s going to want to talk to me about the estate. Fai rubbed his forehead. His 18th birthday was only 7 months away, at which point he would take over his parents estate from his Godfather, Ashura. Not only would he have to figure out how to manage 150 acres of pastureland and the old stone mansion that went with it, but he would have to decide where he stood in the wizarding world. While the Death Eaters and their supporters didn’t boast publicly about their views, it was generally obvious to those in the know who sided with whom. Fai’s father had been a Death Eater and his whole family had died at the hands of the Order of the Phoenix. Everyone assumed that he would side with the Death Eaters and fall in line with his parent’s views. I’m a Slytherin after all, he thought, that should have sealed the deal. And now I’m complicit to some horrible scheme with ... well, whoever is wearing Moody’s face.   
  
“Does he sing?” Kurogane said, pulling Fai from his thoughts suddenly.   
  
“What?” Fai asked.   
  
“Fawkes, does he sing?” Kurogane repeated.  
  
“Oh, um, not that I’ve heard.”  He replied.  
  
“I’ve heard that their song brings strength to the good and strikes fear into the hearts of the evil.” Kurogane said, “But I’m not sure how that works. Does the phoenix control it or decide who to target or something?”   
  
Fawkes had finished his snack and was hopping up on the railing, preparing to fly back to Dumbledore's office. Fai thought about that for a moment. If this beautiful bird had sang for them tonight, would he have felt encouraged or afraid? Fai wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer to that question.  
  
“Well, I’ve never heard him sing. Although,” Fai said, changing the subject, “there was an incident with a basilisk and one of Fawkes’ tears.”   
  
“Really?” Kurogane asked. He followed Fai through the door as they started the long descent down the stairs.  
  
“Yes, you see, we have some secret chambers under Hogwarts ...”  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The dark chambers of his family's home were just as cold and empty as he remembered. As he stared out the window onto the snowy gardens below, his mind was consumed with worry and dread at the coming summer. Hogwarts had been his home since he was 11 and it was the only place in the world he had any friends. Once he left what would become of him?   
  
Before he had time to stew any longer, Aushra walked into the room. “Fai, you said you needed to go into town. What for?”   
  
“I need to get something for Herbology class. It’s for a group project.” Fai replied, turning around.  
  
“Ugh, that class is so pointless, and Professor Sprout ...” He closed his eyes and gestured his hand vaguely.   
  
“Professor Sprout what?” Fai asked.  
  
“She’s just always so ...well, you know, so...” Ashura waved his hand again.  
  
“So dirty?” Fai offered.  
  
“Yes, thank you. I mean, I realize that’s her job, but still, that’s why we have running water.” He said, raising his eyebrows. “Fine, let's go.”   
  
When Fai got into the car he remained silent and hoped that Ashura would do the same, but he had no such luck. As soon as they turned onto the main road, Ashura started in. “So, have you considered what you want to do after school?”   
  
“I’m going to run away and join the circus.” Fai said, nodding.   
  
“What, a muggle circus?” Ashura asked, sarcastically.  
  
“Don’t they still have wizarding circuses in America?” Fai asked with as much sincerity as he could muster.   
  
“Fai,” Asura said, exasperated. “You are a very talented young wizard with numerous prospects.”   
  
“Ohh, do you think they’ll let me be the ringmaster?” Fai replied.   
  
Ashura sighed deeply. “You could follow in your father’s footsteps. He was the premier magical buildings contractor in eastern Scotland and you still own a large percentage of that company. I’m sure the board would be happy to have you.”   
  
“Nope,” Fai leaned back against the seat, “Tigers, flaming hula hoops, my mind's made up Ashura.”   
  
“Fai, you have to start taking this seriously. People, important people, want to know where you stand.” Ashura insisted.  
  
“Where I stand on what?” Fai spat back, letting his facade drop, “On my career or how I feel about Death Eaters?” He turned back towards the window. Shouldn’t have said that, he thought and closed his eyes as the regret sank in.   
  
“Fai, magical society is held together by tradition. When those traditions are threatened, people have to know who they can turn to. The Flourites have always been a strong family and a galvanizing presence in eastern Scotland. I’ve tried to raise you in a way that your parents would have approved of. I hope that you will someday come to appreciate your heritage.” Ashura lectured him.  
  
If my heritage had its way,  Fai thought, Chii wouldn’t be allowed in Hogwarts. But he didn’t dare say it out loud.  
  
“Until then, the least you can do is preserve it.” Ashura finished, raising his tone to a scolding one.   
  
The rest of the trip was spent in uncomfortable silence. At Grassmarket Fai picked up the Gillyweed from the vendor Moody had directed him to. It costed an arm and a leg and Moody had not given him any money, so Fai had to pay for it out of pocket. Cheap bastard! Fai thought as he picked up a few other plants and herbs so the Gillyweed didn’t stand out too much.   
  
That night Fai sat in the armchair in front of the big drawing room fireplace. It was lit but the room was still freezing cold. He stared up at the family portrait that hung above it. His mother and father, both tall and proud, sat next to each other, unsmiling. His father’s arm was around his mother’s waist in the picture, but they looked stiff. Did they love each other?  Fai thought. He didn’t remember them well enough to know. He remembered his nanny Miss O’Neil better than he did his own mother. On their laps sat their twin boys, only 3 years old at the time the painting had been made. He couldn’t tell which of them was supposed to be him and which was supposed to be his brother. The painter probably couldn’t tell the difference between us. While he couldn't remember his parents that well, he missed his brother dearly. They had been inseparable as children. The earliest thing that Fai could remember was staring at his brother and realizing, for the first time, that they were actually different people.   
  
Lost in thought, he suddenly realized he was shivering. He pulled himself out of the chair to head to his room, his eyes meeting his father’s for a moment. What would he think of me now? He was afraid he knew the answer to that question. But then he looked down into the eyes of the little boy on his father’s lap. What, he wondered, what would he think of me?   
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
The second task went on without any incidences, Cedric winning and Harry coming in second place. But in the months that followed rumors began circulating around Hogwarts. Barty Crouch had gone missing and now Igor Karkaroff had apparently interrupted potions class in a panic.   
  
“He came in and said what?” Fai asked Emily, an underclass Slytherin who was relaying the story to him.  
  
“He said that he needed to talk to Snape about something private.” Emily said, not sure what to make of it. “I think he was injured or something. He was holding his arm.”   
  
“Which arm?” Fai asked.  
  
“Um, I think his left one. Is this some elaborate prank?” Emily asked him.   
  
Fai smiled, “I can neither confirm nor deny that information.” Fai said as he walked away.  
  
Fai knew that it wasn’t it prank. In fact, he was beginning to suspect that it was something much more sinister. The Death Eaters had shown up at the world cup and a few other places in the past year and he knew for a fact that Karkaroff used to be one. He also knew about the tattoos that Death Eaters concealed on their left arms. But how does that relate to Barty’s disappearance? And what does any of this have to do with Potter winning the Triwizard Tournament? Fai thought as he made his way to the library. Barty’s son was a Death Eater too, but Barty couldn’t have turned to their side, not after he sent his own son to Azkaban. Is Potter somehow involved in this? He shook his head.  No, that’s ridiculous. His parents were killed by Voldemort, he’s the ‘Boy Who Lived’. Besides, Fai reasoned, Potters an idiot. Certainly not clever enough to be complicit in some grand scheme. But that means that Moody is manipulating him for some reason. Assuming this is part of a Death Eater scheme, what would they want with Potter, I mean, beside just finishing the job, but Moody has had many opportunities to kill Potter; he’s trying to do quite the opposite, he wants to help him win. And apparently it wasn’t important that he win the first 2 tasks, just that he finish them and not get kicked out of the competition. Why does he have to win the maze challenge?   
  
He stared down at his empty potions homework, scribbling a labyrinth in the top corner. What could be waiting in there for him? Why would Karkaroff’s tattoo show up now? What is brewing within the Death Eaters ranks?  
  
As he added layer upon layer to the little ink maze he considered the implications of his own actions. Moody was the one who had put Potter’s name in the Goblet. And Potter really was an idiot.There’s no way he could have gotten this far without Moody’s help. He would have been disqualified by now and wouldn’t even be going into that maze. No matter what the end goal is, there’s no way that Potter is coming out of that maze alive. He’s going to be killed and all the students at Hogwarts are going to find his dead body in that Maze. As gruesome as that would be, how would that benefit the Death Eaters? It dawned on him. An audience. That’s what they want. They want Potter’s death to be public. They want it to be a statement. That’s how they operate, fear through theatre.   
  
“Fai,” Chii said tapping his shoulder lightly, “You ok?”  
  
“Oh, yeah, sorry, little nervous about those O.W.L.S.” Fai said, chuckling.  
  
“Pfft” Tomoyo laughed. “You sure you aren’t thinking about that Durmstrang boy?”  
  
Fai put his hand to his mouth in mock embarrassment, “Why,” he said in a southern belle accent, “what ever do you mean?”  
  
They all laughed before being shushed by the librarian. Looking at his friends, Fai knew what he had to do. He didn’t want them to have to go through that. He remembered the great wizarding war and he still had nightmares about it. He was probably more traumatized than even he realized. He wanted to protect them from that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After they finished their homework, Fai set off for Dumbledore's office. He knew that he would be in a great deal of trouble, but he had to prevent whatever the Death Eaters were planning. He was still worried about Moody’s threat to harm Chii and Tomoyo, but perhaps Dumbledore would have a solution for that as well. As he walked up the hallway to the headmaster's office he tried to figure out how he would explain this all to Dumbledore. He knocked and waited outside the door for him to answer. After a few moments of nothing, Fai thought he might be out meeting with another professor and was turning to leave when he saw someone turn the corner and start to come down the hall. It was Moody. Their eyes met and Moody immediately glared at him, realizing what he was trying to do.   
  
Fai turned around and tried not to run as he walked towards the stairs.   
  
Moody called out after him, “Flourite, I hope your friend will be alright.” He said it in an almost friendly tone.   
  
Fai stopped but didn't turn around. Who did he mean? Anyone passing by would never realize it was a threat.   
  
“This isn't gonna go away just like that.” Moody said and snapped his fingers.   
  
Fai started down the stairs again and headed for the library. There was no way Moody would have known Fai was going to tell Dumbledore. As long as I get to Chii and Tomoyo first, I'll be able to protect them. He thought.   
  
He checked back in the library but they weren't there. He ran to the great hall but didn't see them at either of their house tables. He asked Hideki, who said Chii had gone to the greenhouse to water her plants. Hideki called out after him as he ran to the greenhouse.   
  
By the time he got there, it was too late. As he walked into the greenhouse he saw Chii laying on the floor, unconscious. He rushed over and pulled her shoulders up. She was still breathing.   
  
He shook her lightly, “Chii?”   
  
Hey eyes fluttered open and then closed again.   
  
Hideki came running in after him.   
  
“We have to get her to Madam Pomfrey.” Fai said.   
  
Hideki nodded and picked her up, carrying her into the castle.   
  
Madam Pomfrey diagnosed her with acute poteirian fume poisoning.  Poteirian was one of the plants that they had been using in Herbology, but they were not scheduled to bloom for another three weeks, at which time the whole class would have to wear masks to protect themselves from the fumes.   
  
Moody must have sped up the growth somehow. Fai thought as he sat next to Chii’s cot in the infirmary. Hideki was there too, as was Professor Sprout, Dumbledore and Moody.  
  
“Something must have accelerated their growth,” Sprout explained. “Fai, you're in Chii’s group, do you know what happened?”  
  
Fai looked up and made eye contact with Moody who was giving him a threatening look.   
  
“I ...” Fai started turning back to Sprout. “I mixed up the canisters this morning and added growth formula instead of regular fertilizer.” He hoped his lie would be believable enough, looking down at the ground as he spoke. “I realized what I had done this evening and was trying to find Chii to warn her, but ...”  
  
“Well, let this be a lesson to you.” Professor Sprout said, “Chii will be fine,  but magical plants can be extremely dangerous. Absent mindedness can result in serious injury.”   
  
“Yes ma'am,” Fai said, still looking at the ground.   
  
At this point, Chii was starting to come around.   
  
“Ahh, that’ll be the tonic. Yes, she’ll be fine.” Madam Pomfrey said.   
  
Hideki helped her to sit up, “Chii? Are you ok?” He asked her in a soft voice.   
  
With all of the attention turned onto Chii, Fai took the opportunity to quietly sneak out of the infirmary. He couldn’t face Chii right now. He swiftly started off towards Slytherin quarters, head down and mind clouded with guilt and doubt.  
  
As he turned into the courtyard, he ran smack into what felt like a brick wall. He looked up to see the grumpy scowl of Kurogane.   
  
“Watch where you are going Slytherin.” He growled.  
  
Fai stood up and was about to walk off without saying anything, but Kurogane reached out and grabbed his shoulder, “Did you find your friend?” He asked.   
  
He must have been in the hall earlier, Fai thought. “Yeah, she’ll be fine ... no thanks to me.” He said, shaking Kurogane’s hand off of him as he walked off.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The day of the final task Moody called Fai to stay after class. Fai sat back in his chair and waited for the other students to exit class. He had barely spoken to Chii or Tomoyo in the weeks leading up the maze. They were both worried about him and told him so, but he kept his distance.   
  
When everyone was gone, Moody motioned for him to follow him to his office. Fai just looked down at his desk, unmoving.   
  
“Boy,” Moody said in a harsh tone. Fai reluctantly got up and walked toward Moody’s office. He looked down and saw his own hands shaking slightly.   
  
Once inside, Moody turned to Fai, “I’ll get you inside the maze. Once you are in, you have one job.” Moody stopped for a moment. “Kill Cedric Diggory.”  
  
Fai’s eye’s went wide in terror.   
  
“Cedric is Harry’s only real competition at this point,” Moody continued, “and he’d be no match for a sneak attack by someone who has a map of the maze.” He handed Fai a folded parchment. Fai forced himself to breath in. His hand shook as he took the map from Moody.   
  
“No.” Fai whispered, “No, please no,” He begged Moody, “Please no.”   
  
Moody leaned into him. “I’ll kill her.” He said, pointing vaguely in the direction of the Hufflepuff basement. “I’ll put her head on a plate. The Ravenclaw too.” Moody whispered, inches away from him. Fai stared at him in abject horror. “Meet me here in half an hour.” He pointed to a spot near the back end of the maze on Fai’s map. “Now get out.” He pointed at the door and turned back towards his desk.   
  
Instead of leaving, Fai stepped toward him, “Please, I’ll injure him, I’ll incapacitate him. Please, I don’t need to kill him to keep him from winning.” Fai heard Moody snarl. “Please, he doesn’t need to die.”   
  
Moody snapped around and pointed his wand at Fai, “Crucio!” He yelled.   
  
Fai instantly fell to the ground, screaming out in intolerable pain. He thought he was going to die. His whole body was writhing in agony and he had no control over his reactions.   
  
After a few seconds Moody retracted his wand and Fai lay on the floor, trembling. Moody reached down and grabbed Fai, pulling him up by his collar. “I’ll do much worse to them, trust you me!” He let go of Fai, who dropped to the ground. “Get out.” Moody said.   
  
Fai frantically stood up and ran out the door of his office and through the classroom. He was still shaking uncontrollably as he opened the door into the hall. As the door swung open it revealed Kurogane’s horrified face on the other side.   
  
“Flourite.” Kurogane said, his eyes wide, “What the hell?”   
  
Fai glanced back at the office door. It had closed behind him and Moody didn’t know about Kurogane seeing him.  
  
“Was that you screaming?” Kurogane asked with a confused and horrified look on his face.  
  
“I ...” Fai started, struggling to control his breathing. “No, I’m not ...” He looked away. “No, too many people are already vulnerable because of me. I’m not going to let you be one of them.” He said quietly and turned to walk away.  
  
“Fai.” Kurogane said, reaching out to grab Fai’s wrist. Fai stopped in his tracks. His wrist hurt. Not from how Kurogane was holding it, but from how much pain he had endured only moments before. “Are you ... are you being blackmailed?” Kurogane asked in genuine concern.   
  
Fai reached his other hand into his pocket. He wasn’t going to let his friends suffer like that. He couldn’t. “Fumos,” he whispered and a large black cloud of smoke quickly overtook them. Fai yanked his hand out of Kurogane’s grasp and ran down the hall, taking several turns to ensure Kurogane didn’t follow him.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Fai ran down the stairs and out to the Quidditch pitch, which was now covered in thick bush walls. Students were making their way to the stands and Fai ducked behind a big tree to consult his map. When he reached the location Moody had indicated on the map, he looked around in fear. Moments later he saw Moody walk up, look both ways to make sure no one was watching and then speak something in Latin before the bushes opened and he shoved Fai inside. He repeated the phrase and the bushes closed between them.   
  
Fai opened his map but he was shaking too much to hold it still. Once he got it orientated, he could see 4 different colored dots at the front of the maze; one yellow, one red, one gray and one blue. Fai figured that these must represent the 4 champions. Just then, he heard the cannon go off and saw the 4 dots move towards the maze.   
  
The wind swirled around him. Moody had warned him that the maze would be disorientating, but he felt like he was seeing things out of the corners of his eyes. He tried to move towards where he saw the yellow dot, figuring that must be Cedric, but it was so hard to keep the map straight. He looked around him. Was it this dark when I came in here? He wondered as the wind picked up. Even in his long sleeves he shivered as the bushes swayed back and forth.   
  
He looked down a long corridor. Everything seemed blue and foggy. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but his vision had started to get blurry. He pulled his map apart further and tried to locate the yellow dot again. He started to walk in the direction he thought Cedric might be. When he got to the end of the corridor, he peered around the corner, seeing Cedric getting closer on the map.   
  
Fai walked down another long section of bushes, just behind where he thought Cedric might be, but when he looked around the corner, he wasn’t there. Fai consulted his map again. I’m not where I thought I was. He thought in panic. He turned the map around, trying to remember how many times he had turned since he had come into the maze, but his head was too foggy. Shit, I’m lost. If Cedric gets to the cup first, Moody’s going to kill Chii and Tomoyo. He thought as his breath picked up. He turned around, trying desperately to match the hedge turns to the map but at this point he was starting to panic. But what if Harry does get there first? He’s going to be killed and all hell is going to break loose. The Death Eaters might even start firing at the crowd. He was starting to hyperventilate now, running back to his last turn and turning the map around again.  
  
Suddenly, he heard something from behind him. He turned around frantically, only to catch a hint of a yellow track suit passing through an opening in the hedges. Fai crept up to the edge of the opening and peered around. It was Cedric. Fai tried to steady his breathing to no avail. He was shaking uncontrollably as he took his wand out and held it towards Cedric who was jogging away from him.  
  
Fai knew what he had to say; he had it in his mind, saying it over and over in his head, but it wouldn’t come out. He stood there, wand raised trembling, trying to force the words out of his mouth. But they wouldn’t come. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill Cedric. He couldn’t even stop him. Fai remained there, frozen as Cedric turned the corner and disappeared out of view.   
  
Fai lowered his wand and sank to his knees. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t. His head spun. The bushes seemed to move around him. Chii, Tomoyo. He could picture it now, Death Eaters sending smoke up into the stands, screaming, crying, bodies lying on the ground, motionless. He threw his head into his hands. He had done this. It was his fault. He had helped Moody from the beginning. He hadn’t stopped it. He was a coward and his friends were going to pay for it with their lives.   
  
His head snapped up as he heard the bushes rustle. He scrambled backward until he was up against  the hedge and looked around frantically. The wind whipped through the corridor, kicking leaves up into his face. Everything had turned dark and foggy. He couldn't see more than a few meters in front of him. But something was there, he could hear it, he could feel it. He slowly stood up, and edged along the bushes until he got to the corner. Terrified, he peered around.   
  
The fog was thick but through it he saw a figure lying on the ground, motionless. He took a step closer and put both hands over his mouth in abject horror. What he saw before him was himself, but missing his right leg and right arm, blood splattered on the ground where they had been. He took another step forward. As he stared, he realized the figure before him was not himself, but his brother.   
  
He knelt down beside him. “Fai,” he whispered, calling his brother by his real name, barely able to breath, “Fai,” He said, his voice cracking with terror at the sight before him.   
  
“Yuui” the figured replied with a strained breath. He turned his head to face Fai. “What have you done?” asked the figure on the ground, looking Fai in the eyes.  
  
“I’m ... I’m so sorry. I ...” Fai stammered. He was paralyzed with fear and could barely breath.   
  
“Yuui,” his brother reached out for him with his remaining arm. “Yuui.” he reached up and pressed his hand against Fai’s cheek.  
  
“It should have been me. Please, it should have been me. I should have been the one that died that day. Please, please, it’s all my fault. Please, Fai, I’m so sorry.” Fai sobbed into his brother’s bloody hand. The events of 13 years ago and the events of the past year had spiraled together into a confusing mess in Fai’s head. He didn’t know whose side he was on or what was even going on, but the only thing he knew for sure was that it was his fault. It was all his fault.   
  
“Fai,” his brother rasped. “You can fix it.” He said looking him in the eyes. Fai looked up at him, trying to understand what he meant. “You can fix it.” His hand fell down to Fai’s right arm. “You can fix it.” Suddenly Fai understood what he meant. He could take his brother’s place. “All it costs ... is an arm and a leg.” He said, glancing at his missing limbs.  
  
“Fai,” Fai said, reaching for his wand. “An arm and a leg. I can fix it.” He would be the one who died. He could take his brother's place as long as he died in the same way. In his confusion, it seemed to make perfect sense to him. He put his wand up to his shoulder. “It’ll be me who died. It’ll be me. I can fix it.” He said again.   
  
“Diff..” He started to say, but his wand was knocked from his hand before his could finished. When he looked up his brother had vanished and Kurogane was grabbing him by the shoulders. He shook Fai forcibly as Fai blinked and slowly came to.   
  
“Fai, Fai, what the hell?” Kurogane yelled at him. “What are you doing? You could have killed yourself!”   
  
Fai looked at him blankly. “I was supposed to die. It was supposed to be me.” He said quietly, as if it was the most logical thing in the world.  
  
“WHAT?” Kurogane yelled back. “Whatever you just saw, it wasn’t real!” He gestured to the spot where Fai was staring. “You were bewitched. The maze made you hallucinate. It wasn’t real!”   
  
“Kurogane?” He said, looking up at the boy in front of him, “ It wasn’t real?” Fai shook his head. He was finally starting to grasp what had happened.   
  
“What did Moody do to you?” Kurogane demanded of him.  
  
“Moody?” Fai repeated and then realized that they were still in the maze. “Harry!” He said, sitting up and grabbing Kurogane’s arms. “Harry, they are going to kill Harry Potter!”  
  
“Harry? The Gryffindor?” Kurogane said.   
  
“Yes, Harry.” Fai said, standing up. As soon as he stood up his head started to spin and he nearly fell over again.   
  
Kurogane caught him halfway down. “We have to get you out of here. We’re not going to catch up with the champions, we have to get to the front.” He said as he pulled Fai back up to his feet. He whistled and Fai saw Kurogane’s dragon fly above them. The dragon darted down the corridor and Kurogane threw his arm around Fai’s waist as they started down as well.   
  
Once they got to the end Kurogane looked up as his dragon flew higher. Then he swooped down and started flying left. Kurogane and Fai followed him. It only took them a few more turns until they could see the front of the maze where the crowd cheered. “Looks like it’s over.” Kurogane said as he pulled Fai towards the entrance.  
  
Where are all the Death Eaters? Is Potter still alive? Fai thought frantically. As they reached the opening in the bushes, Fai saw Potter. He was kneeling on the ground next to someone. As the people around him shifted, he saw it was Cedric. Kurogane helped Fai sit down on the damp grass. Fleur screamed suddenly and the crowd stopped cheering. A few of them gasped and Cedric's father started to make his way down from the stands, yelling. Chaos ensued and it was a few moments before Dumbledore saw Fai and Kurogane by the entrance to the maze.   
  
“Fai?” Dumbledore said as he approached, “Are you alright? What is going on?”   
  
“Moody...” Fai answered. “Is Cedric ... dead?”   
  
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. “What about Moody?”  
  
Fai’s face went pale with horror. Cedric was dead. “He... he’s not...” Fai stammered, trying to form coherent words, “He’s not Moody. That’s not Moody, he’s someone else. They were going to kill Harry.”   
  
“Harry!” Dumbledore said, turning around. Harry wasn’t kneeling next to Cedric anymore. Dumbledore rushed over, “Where did Harry go?” He frantically asked McGonagall and Snape who were standing next to Cedric’s father as he wailed over his son’s body.   
  
“I don’t know.” McGonagall replied.   
  
“We have to get to the castle, we have to find Moody, he’s got Potter!” Dumbledore said, starting off towards the castle as Snape and several others followed.   
  
“Fai?” Kurogane said in concern as he knelt down next to him.   
  
Fai couldn’t move. He could barely breath. Cedric was dead, even if he hadn’t killed him, he had been part of this whole thing and he was the reason Cedric was dead.   
  
“Fai!” Kurogane repeated, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Fai, what the hell is going on?” Kurogane demanded.   
  
McGonagall walked over and knelt down, “Yes, please tell us what’s going on.”   
  
“Moody ... he’s not Moody. He’s somebody else. He’s been helping Harry complete the tasks. He told me if I didn’t help him, he would hurt my friends.” Fai said staring off into space, “But now Cedric’s dead and ...”   
  
“Fai, just tell us what happened in the maze.” McGonagall said.   
  
“Moody told me that I had to kill Cedric, so that Harry would win, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill him and now he’s dead. I think ... I think they were going to kill Harry, but Cedric must have gotten there first.”   
  
“So you didn’t kill Cedric?” McGonagall asked him.   
  
“No. No, I couldn’t. But Moody, he said if I didn’t...” Fai’s eyes went wide with terror. “Chii! Tomoyo! Oh god, he said he would kill them.” Fai tried to stand again, falling over at first but scrambling back up. He ran over to the stands, “Chii!” He called out, “Tomoyo!”   
  
“Fai!” Chii called out from the Hufflepuff stand. She stood up and started to make her way down toward Fai.   
  
“Heavens! Threatening children, coercion! Good Lord.” McGonagall put her hand to her chest, “And how are you involved in all of this?” She turned to Kurogane.  
  
“I heard someone ...um, screaming from a classroom and went to help. Fai came out from that man ... um, Moody? He came out from Moody’s office and I think it was Fai who was screaming, but he ran from me, so I followed him. I climbed over the hedge and found him on the ground talking to himself. I think he was going to ... to cut his own arm off.” Kurogane said with a grimace.   
  
McGonagall gasped, “Screaming?”  
  
Kurogane nodded. By now Tomoyo had come down from the stands as well and they were both hugging Fai who was apologizing incessantly and crying.  
  
Later that night it was revealed that the man masquerading as Moody was actually Barty Crouch Jr., infamous Death Eater and Azkaban escapee. The real Moody was rescued along side Harry.

   
~~~~~~  
  
Fai, Harry and the real Mad Eye Moody all gave their written accounts of that night to the ministry of magic. Fai was cleared of all wrong doing on account of coercion.  
  
Fai stood in front of Chii and Tomoyo as they read the letter he had written, Kurogane reading it over their shoulder. “Can you ever forgive me?” He asked his friends.  
  
“Oh Fai! Of course.” Chii said, hugging him.   
  
“Fai, why didn’t you tell us?” Tomoyo asked. “We could have helped you.”   
  
“I ...” Fai started to say, but thought better of it. No. I should have. That would have been the right thing to do. But ... “I was a coward.” He said, lowering his head.  
  
“Fai.” Tomoyo said sadly and gave him a hug as well.   
  
“You were a fool.” Kurogane said, coldly, “And you still are.”  
  
“Well that’s a bit harsh.” Tomoyo retorted, looking offended on Fai’s behalf. “But...” She said looking back at Fai. “Yeah, he’s kinda right, it was pretty stupid.” She nodded for a moment before leaning in. “Hey, aren’t you going to introduce us to tall, dark and grumpy over here.”  
  
“Oh yes,” Fai said, putting on a mischievous smile, “Chii, Tomoyo, this is Mr. Grumpy.” He waved his hands as if he was presenting Kurogane to them.  
  
“Kurogane!!” He corrected them with a scowl.   
  
~~~~~  
  
After the girls had left, Fai walked Kurogane back to the docks.  
  
“I noticed you left out the part about trying to cut off your arm.” Kurogane said, poignantly.   
  
“Well...” Fai said, “it didn’t seem relevant to their investigation.”  
  
“What did you see in that maze?”   
  
Fai was silent. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to go there yet.  
  
“Nevermind.” Kurogane said, dropping it.  
  
They walked together in silence for a few minutes.   
  
“So I’m a fool, huh?” Fai asked putting his coy smile back on.   
  
“Yeah.” Kurogane replied. “You think that people don’t care about your pain or suffering just because of where you are from.” He said and Fai’s smile dropped. “People care about you.” Kurogane said, turning to look at Fai. “But you have to let them.”   
  
Fai rolled his eyes but didn’t reply.   
  
As they stepped onto the dock Fai stopped and turned to Kurogane. “You gonna write to me Mr. Grumpy?”  
  
Kurogane scoffed, but Fai could see a tiny smile prick at the edges of his mouth. “Only to make sure you haven’t gotten yourself killed yet.” He huffed and started to walk onto the boat.  
  
“Will your letters come by dragon?” Fai called after him.  
  
“You wish Slytherin!” Kurogane said as he boarded.   
  
As Fai watched the Durmstrang boat sail away he knew that there was still a lot of his life left for him to figure out, but he knew that he wouldn’t have to do it alone anymore.


End file.
